A charming, passionate and compelling presence on the podium, award winning conductor Kenneth Hsieh, has gained widespread attention for his vibrant performances, making him one of the most exciting and versatile young conductors on the international stage today. The 2020-2021 season marks his 18th year as Music Director of the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra in addition to his many international guest conducting engagements.

Noel McRobbie’s solo performances include the Steinway Series at the University of South Florida, Vancouver Chopin Society, Eastport Arts Centre in Maine, Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, and a recital for the Asian Composers League at Sejong Chamber Hall in Seoul.  As concerto soloist, he has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra, Jeonju Philharmonic Orchestra, Westcoast Symphony, and the New Westminster Symphony.

Patrick May is the President of The Vancouver Chopin Society, coordinating with the Chopin Institute in Warsaw, among others, to bring to Vancouver solo piano recitals by world-class musicians. Highlight of last year was his travel to Warsaw for meetings at the International Federation of Chopin Societies, as well as to attend performances at the 18th International Chopin Competition, securing to perform in Vancouver many of the laureates from the competition.

JUNO Award-winning composer Jordan Nobles was nominated for Classical Composer of the Year at the 2018 Western Canadian Music Awards, his third such nomination. He has received many honours in recent years including a 2017 JUNO Award, a Western Canadian Music Award, a Jan V. Matejcek Award, and numerous International prizes. He is often composing music for open or variable instrumentation and for spatial performance.

The Competition will feature a compulsory piece written by Jordan Nobles